Into the Night
by Princess of Radiance
Summary: The last night of Radiant Garden, seven people fell. Taken from the light by the darkness, and doomed to walk in twilight.


Well, i'm posting this during school lol

Last time we read Shakespeare in class, I wrote an ass-ton of poetry. This time, I write this. Enjoy my Hamlet-fueled weirdness!

* * *

Looking back, Braig should have seen it coming.

He was in the lab with Xehanort. Blessedly, no one else was around. Dilan was on entrance duty, Aeleus was on patrol. Ansem was in the library, and Even was probably dashing after Ienzo, who most likely had snuck out to play with the little Princess of Heart again.

Perfect timing for what they were about to do.

He pressed the last of the buttons, and turned towards Xehanort.

"All set. Fire it up, Xehan."

The other man nodded at him, serious as always (it just couldn't possibly be Terra that kid had a fuse smaller than a fly), and stepped into the device.

Braig tapped the activation switch, and all the lights shut off.

He spent several deathly quiet minutes praying that the rest of the castle was untouched and Ansem wouldn't come down to check up on them, because he'd be so, so dead if he brought Dilan, when the lights flickered back.

Xehanort (or was it he looked odd somehow almost older) stood in front of him, eyebrow cocked up and a malicious, familiar smirk on his face.

"Braig."

Braig let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Oh, man, you scared me there for a minute. Did it work? I can't sense any Darkness? Are you sure the thing did what it was supposed to?"

The smile widened (like a shark he'd seen a picture in a book the little king brought so much like a shark).

"Oh, it worked, Braig. It gave me the Darkness. Would you like me to show you?"

The noncommittal grunt had barely left his mouth when Xehanort's hand shot out and buried itself in his chest.

"Wh-"

"You wanted the Darkness, Braig. I'm merely giving it to you. Fear not, it won't hurt."

Pulling his arm back as quickly as it had shot forwards, he released a small red object from his grasp (his heart his heart oh sweet lord above the bastard took his goddamn _heart_).

As Braig's vision melted into Darkness, he watched Xehanort's lab coat dissolve away into a familiar coat, the Heartless emblem that had been burned into his memory fading into view on his chest.

_Shit shit shit, this wasn't supposed to happen…Rasa, Lior, I'm so so sorry…this can't happen…!_

* * *

Dilan was bored. Standing entrance duty in the middle of the night, without Aeleus no less, was absolute torture.

(not like anyone shows up this ungodly hour…)

His mind was drifting off into a rather pleasant daydream about a bed, two sets of running footsteps jolted him awake.

Running past him, on the other end of the courtyard, were two very familiar people. Lea and Isa.

The two teenaged hooligans had been the bane of his existence for some months, attempting to sneak into the castle (who the hell knows why they were so damn set on it), and he'd caught them every time. They'd developed a rather odd friendship, and Dilan had ended up giving them some training sessions at the armory. They had caught on quick, Lea most of all. Not surprising, since his father was a retired Guardian, like Dilan himself was now.

But now they looked terrified, as they ran in the direction of the armory, being chased by a monster. It was not a monster like the ones that had plagued the Garden for some time a while ago. In fact, it looked almost like one of those half-formed beasties Even and Xehanort had been keeping in their secret lair.

(well shit the lab-rats let one out)

He hefted his lance and set off at a trot the way the teens had gone. He hoped they would handle themselves for the few minutes he'd take to get to them.

He didn't see the ambush of Heartless until they were upon him, tearing at his clothes and ripping his heart from him.

_Braig, Aeleus…protect the others, or so help me, I'll come back to kill you again…god damn it…!_

* * *

Even ran through the halls in a panic. Ienzo was missing, the guards were nowhere in sight, he couldn't find Aeleus and Dilan wasn't at his post, Braig was nowhere in sight (not surprising the unreliable ass), and hordes of Emblems filled the halls, floating and shambling and skipping and stomping.

"Ienzo! Ienzo! Where on earth are you?"

"He's not in, Even."

Even spun around. Xehanort stood behind him, wearing the oddest clothing…and an Emblem on his chest.

He exploded. "Xehanort, you fool! What on earth did you do? Why are the Emblems loose? Where are Dilan and Aeleus- where's Master Ansem? _What did you do to yourself?_"

Xehanort chuckled. (he's mad he's mad oh dear god he's mad and he's a heartless I need to find Ienzo)

"Fret not, Even, your charge will be joining you and the others soon enough."

Before he could blink or cry out, Xehanort had struck him down, letting his heart dance its way up to the sky, allowing Even's body to fall as it faded.

_Xehanort, you bastard…I swear on the heart you took from me…I will kill you someday…!_

* * *

When the Heartless started spawning in droves, Aeleus's first thought was to find Master Ansem and protect him.

When a thorough search of the library turned up no one, Aeleus headed to his king's study.

On the way there, a mass of Heartless (I think Even called them large bodies once a very apt name) melted up in front of them. Growling a battle cry, he swung his axe and down they went.

He got to the study too late. He flung the door open in time to see Xehanort (he looks so very different could he have…) standing over his king's unconscious form, a black portal swirling into being next to him.

Aeleus charged him just as he lifted up and tossed Ansem the Wise through the dark portal, which then faded away.

Xehanort easily sidestepped the charge, and parried the blow that immediately followed.

"Why, Aeleus, what's happened? You've only a portion of your strength."

"And yours has become unnatural through the Darkness, Xehanort."

"I will not deny it."

"Then I will not show mercy."

Aeleus charged once more, and was stopped in his tracks by a massive black shadow swooping over Xehanort's shoulder straight for his chest.

He didn't even have time to dodge.

_Even, Dilan, Braig, little Ienzo…please, be safe, be careful…do not fall, or I shall have failed you…!_

* * *

Ienzo was out late playing with his friend Kairi. He knew he should be getting back (it is getting dark after all and Even will likely be having a panic attack after all), but he had a feeling he shouldn't leave the little girl just yet.

"Ien', look over there! What's that?"

He looked and turned white. Trundling towards them was a massive Heartless, a Morningstar if Ienzo remembered it right.

Grabbing Kairi's small hand, he tore off into the Gardens, heading to the castle, praying Dilan was still at the gates.

The Heartless didn't let them get that far. They were quickly surrounded. Kairi screamed.

"Ien'! We gotta run!"

He squeezed her hand reassuringly (oh no oh no we're going to die I don't want Kairi to die this is bad bad bad).

Suddenly, the little girl's necklace began to glow, and she was surrounded in light. She gasped, and tugged her hand free from Ienzo's grasp momentarily to touch the thing in confusion.

When she started fading from view, her eyes widened and she grabbed for Ienzo again.

"Ien', hold my hand! Don't go, Ien'!"

He shook his head and pushed her away, letting her fade further. She started to cry.

He frowned at her, and for the first and last time as Ienzo, he spoke.

"Kairi, don't cry, just go. You'll be safe."

She blinked, and smiled at his through her tears.

That smile and her last words to him, called out in a clear, calm voice as she disappeared into the light, stayed burned into his memory long after the Darkness swallowed him.

"Ien', don't be afraid of the Dark, 'cause you can always find my light!"

_I'll find your light, Kairi…I'll find it and I won't be afraid…'cause you're my friend, you hear…!_

* * *

Lea and Isa were on one of the fountain platforms finishing some ice cream when the first monster appeared.

"Isa?"

"What now, Lea?"

"You…see that, right?"

"See what?"

"_That._"

They both turned fully to stare in shock and horror at the massive creature staring them down.

"RUN!"

The two leapt off the ledge and tore off towards the castle and the armory, the only thought in their heads to get to some real weapons (because yeah a Frisbee is gonna do so much damage to a freaking monster).

Dashing past the entranceway, the two were pleased to spot Dilan by the gates, and he seemed to notice their predicament.

Not bothering to stop to look and see if he followed, they ran until they got the squat armory building, and barricaded themselves in.

"Oh, god, Isa…what is it?"

"Hell if I know."

"What are we gonna do? It's a monster!"

"What do you want to do, Lea? Hide in here 'til we're a hundred or we die of starvation?"

Lea growled. "Oh, let's kill the damn thing."

He grabbed a pair of small spiked discs off of a shelf, and Isa picked up a sword.

"On the count of three, Lea."

"Okay, three!"

Ignoring Isa's groan, he kicked the door open.

And fifty or so shadowy creatures swarmed in, blanketing the floor.

"Lea!"

"Oh, crap, sorry!"

They made their way back-to-back, and stood fighting the creatures off as best they could.

"Isa…"

"Yeah?"

"We're gonna die, aren't we?"

"Definitely."

"Dang."

"But we go down together." 

"Heck yeah, Isa. I ain't about to abandon a friend."

"Neither am I."

"We'll see each other again, in the next life, right?"

"Of course we will."

"Yeah, cause we're friends…"

"Oh, don't say it."

"…got it memorized?"

"Shut up and fight."

They fell at the same time, streaks of red and blue blotted out by the swarming black.

_Dammit, Isa…we'll see each other again…I won't lose my best friend…!  
_

_Lea…don't give up…I'll kill you if we aren't together wherever we end up…!_

* * *

Seven figures appeared in a dark, neon-lit city, looking scared and confused…and different.

They were joined by an eighth, who silently greeted them, and let them to a gleaming bright castle floating in the sky like an ominous satellite.

Thus they were Nobody.


End file.
